The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-21
SUSTAINING THE BOYCOTT
The Interstate Board Makes a Ruling
of Great Importance to Railways.
Position of the Pennsylvania Company in
the Matter of Paying Commissions and
Boycotting Certain Lines Sustained.

WASHINGTON, July 20-Three decisions were
rendered by the Interstate commerce Commits
sion to-day. The most important was the one in
relation to the payment of commissions by
road to the agents OF another and connecting
roads for sales of through tickets The points
in dispute grew out of the commission and anti
commission fight between the seaboard trunk
lines and some of their Western connections
The following cases were disposed of in the one
opinion: The Chicago g. Alton Railroad Com
pany against the Pennsylvania Company; the
same against the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany; the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail-
road Company against the New York Central g.
Hudson River Railroad Company. The follow
ing synopsis contains the moro important points
of the opinion, which prepared by Mr..
Shoemaker, and which is very long,
In reciting she facts found by the commission,
the opinion shows that several years prior to the
passage of the new law all the railroad
panies OF the country. including complainants
and defendants, paid commissions ranging in
amounts from So to So ticket to the ticket
agents of other companies by whom the through
tickets sold. About month before the
new law went into effect, the defendant COM
panies sent circulars to their connecting
lines proposing to abolish the commission bust
ness entirely by prohibiting the payment of
commissions by other companies to It's agents.
The complainant companies received these cir
culars, and refused to enter into the agreement,
claiming the right TO pay omissions to the
defendant companies
sales of through tickets The defendant COM
panles then refused to sell through tickets over
compliments roads from Chicago ard St. Louis
to Kansas City. In deciding to dismiss the
complaint, the commission say:
THE statute does not divest a railroad COM
pany of the exclusive right to control its own
late their duties and to pay them such compep-
sation as it may deem proper. The right of
ownership OF railroad property. with the power
OF control over employees and management
the act as before its passage The
regulation of commerce between the
contemplates. does not involve community
of property joint control of subor dnates
among the several companies that honor through
tickets The corporate powers Of every COM
pany for all administrative and governing pur-
poses within its prescribed sphere, remain I'M
impaired. With the legitimate exercise of these
right to intermeddle For the proper govern
ment of their own subordinates the defendant
companies have forbidden their agents
to receive commissions from other co M
panies. and directed them not sell tickets
over the roads of companies that refuse to rec
ognize this corporate authority, but insist on
substituting the agents. In these directions the
defendants have not transcribed their reason
able rights One person corporation has no
right 20 interfere with the employees of another.
and the statutes do not disturb this old and
sound principle. -
Mr. Morrison, in his dissenting opinion, Says
I'm any view of the case it seems to me that
who want them over the Chicago & Alton road
as it does over the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy,
and dissent from the views OF my associates
with great diffidence for the reason that this
question is presented both question OF law
and raIr2ad ethics morals. / would not will
ingly delay reform in railroad administration,
hinder tho defendant IN any well meant effort to
reform itself which is the measure of it's present
effort, for it only exacts from the companies
with connecting lines that they shall discontinue
the offer of commissions TO its own, while they
offer them to the agents of all other companies
The payment of commissions may be subject to
such abuse to demand its discontinuance, but
until declared illegal they should not be made to
excuse common carriers from the performance
of obligations to the public"